The invention is generally directed to a middleware control system and server control system utilized in connection with Internet, intranet, extranet and related access control approaches and structures and, in particular, to a middleware control system which supports multiple protocols including standard protocols such as HTTP and SMTP, as well as providing improved functionality and improved protection against unauthorized access through a network firewall.
Current HTTP servers, as described in RFC 2068, and proprietary server APIs have a limitation that the HTTP server cannot maintain a warm-socket connection to other running processes on the same or different computers. In addition, HTTP servers cannot provide asynchronous inter-process communications between programs running on disparate operating systems or between web browsers (including HTML and Java applets) and running programs which may or may not reside on the same computer as the HTTP server. As the use of distributed information in connection with the Internet, corporate intranets and increasingly complex network cooperative arrangements including extranets develop, there is a growing need for improved functionality at increased speeds with less operating system overhead and increased network security.
In addition, in the past, applications (including, but not limited to web browsers, HTTP servers and server programs), that had direct or indirect access to a database behind a firewall required the firewall to be configured to allow for some incoming socket connections through the firewall. By allowing for any incoming connection, the database or any other resource behind the firewall was subject to attack by hackers and other unauthorized users.
In addition, HTTP servers with APIs that supported load balancing across multiple computers required configuration changes for any change in the number of computers used to load balance. As the volume of activity in corporate networks, intranets and the Internet continues to increase, capacity changes must be made on a more frequent basis. The need to constantly reconfigure the servers to achieve load balancing is progressively more complex, problematical, and undesirable.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved middleware control system which increases the functionality of current HTTP servers such that the HTTP server can maintain a warm-socket connection to other running processes on the same or differing computers, as well as providing asynchronous inter-process communications between programs running on disparate operating systems and between web browsers and running programs which may or may not reside on the same computer as the HTTP server.
There is also a need for applications requiring direct or indirect access to a database behind a firewall having access to the database but in a fashion controlled inside the firewall so that access to sensitive materials is controlled.
There is also a need for an improved control system for allowing HTTP server APIs that support load balancing across multiple computers to be dynamically scaled up without the need for configuration changes.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved middleware control system which provides highly accelerated access to data base information and application software behind a network firewall and which may be scaled without the need for reprogramming so that the complexity and diversity sources of the application software data base elements is transparent to the user for whom the system looks like a dedicated direct access to an application.